Scientists say they’ve identified mutated COVID-19 strain — and issue a dire warning about new contagion

The Blaze ^ | 05/05/2020 | Sarah Taylor

[SeekAndFind]

Scientists say they have discovered what they believe is a mutated strain of COVID-19 — and are now warning that this new strain could be way more contagious than plain old coronavirus.

According to a Tuesday report in the Los Angeles Times, researchers say that a new "mutant" strain of coronavirus has emerged.

The study, led by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, reveals that the new strain is more contagious than versions that spread in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to being more contagious, the new strain could reportedly make people more vulnerable to a second infection after a "first bout with the disease."

The study was published on Thursday in BioRxiv and has yet to be peer-reviewed, but researchers said they felt an "urgent need for an early warning" to advise people of the potential danger of the new strain.

The outlet reported, "Wherever the new strain appeared, it quickly infected far more people than the earlier strains that came out of Wuhan, China, and within weeks, it was the only strain that was more prevalent in some nations. ... The new strain's dominance over its predecessors demonstrates that it is more infectious."

"The report was based on a computational analysis of more than 6,000 coronavirus sequences from around the world, collected by the Global Initiative for Sharing All Influenza Data," the Times added. "Time and time again, the analysis found the new version was transitioning to become dominant."

At the time of this writing, researchers at Johns Hopkins University estimate at least 3,606,038 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed around the world, with at least 252,151 deaths because of the virus.

WHAT ELSE?

Study leader Bette Korber — who is a computational biologist — addressed the study on her Facebook page, the outlet reported.

“The story is worrying, as we see a mutated form of the virus very rapidly emerging, and over the month of March becoming the dominant pandemic form," Korber wrote. “When viruses with this mutation enter a population, they rapidly begin to take over the local epidemic, thus they are more transmissible."

She also pointed out that she is very concerned over the study's results.

“This is hard news," she continued, “but please don't only be disheartened by it. Our team at LANL was able to document this mutation and its impact on transmission only because of a massive global effort of clinical people and experimental groups, who make new sequences of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) in their local communities available as quickly as they possibly can."

Korber said that it is of utmost importance to remain aware and with a fluid, working knowledge of the disease and its metamorphosis.

"We cannot afford to be blindsided as we move vaccines and antibodies into clinical testing," Korber insisted. “Please be encouraged by knowing the global scientific community is on this, and we are cooperating with each other in ways I have never seen … in my 30 years as a scientist."

[backwoods-engineer]

Oh boy! They’ve got what they need now! A second virus! Shut it down! Shut down the whole country! Shut down the power plants, shut down the water supply! Shut the whole thing down!

[MIA_eccl1212]

In other words the check from the Clinton foundation has cleared and they have launched another phase of destruction for our economy. The dems collaborated with the Chinese to destroy our nation Proving it is going to be very difficult but regardless Civil War 2 is on

[JayGalt]

Alerts like this are essentially useless. The quarantine measures have not proved effective. In essence this is an admission that there will not be a vaccine since once there is a vaccine the virus that is not blocked will overwhelm the susceptible virus making the vaccine useless.
Basically we need to open up and work on drug therapy.

[trebb]

So, was the study funded by the same folks who funded the Steele dossier?

Had to make the quip - let's hope it carries no water.

[null and void]

More contagious? No surprise there.

Is it more deadly, or like nearly every other disease that has mutated, less deadly?

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

The false positive rate was 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's or one old fart’s life, it's worth it.

[silverleaf]

You do realize that Fauci Birx and Redfield are all relics of the 30 year unsuccessful quest for a HIV vaccine?

And that a former Nobel medicine winner has suggested that this virus may be the failed result of an HIV vaccine effort? ( explaining the HIV inserts made into this bioengineered pathogen)

[epluribus_2]

The Answer is More Socialism. (always)

[Mouton]

And the next version will be nastier yet I bet. So let’s get it over quickly: nuke China and hope a decent level of background radiation kills off the damn thing. If not well we at least did not sit idle.

[glennaro]

We’ll be treated to this regularly next time there’s a Democrat/Left president ... season flu; mutated Chinese viruses; and, of course, global warming or climate change or whatever the hell else it’s morphed into...

[epluribus_2]

because... TRUMP!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

And this time they REALLY mean it!

[Steve_Seattle]

The spread of the virus is facilitated by globalization, high-density living, and rapid transit. The left’s solution to the CV crisis will be to demand more globalization, more high-density living, and more rapid transit.

[Afterguard]

Well hell. Maybe we should all just die already.

[Sawdring]

The Blaze is still a thing?

[epluribus_2]

“Every day I wake up determined to deliver a better life for the people all across America that have been ignored, neglected and abandoned.” ~ Donald Trump

Democratic Governors and Congress Critters:

“Burn the MF’ers Down!”

Campaign slogans for 2020 and 2022

[wastedyears]

Trump’s fault.

(Do I really need /sarc?)

[KevinB]

You do realize that Fauci Birx and Redfield are all relics of the 30 year unsuccessful quest for a HIV vaccine?

I thought the vaccine for HIV was don't stick it where it don't belong. What am I missing?

[JayAr36]

The panic is dying down, quick do something to raise the panic level again.

[glennaro]

A profound difference in what “rebuilding America” means to patriotic, liberty-loving Americans versus the Democrat/Left.

[Carriage Hill]

They’ll be trying again and again, right thru Nov 3rd. Count on it.